Patterning device for knitting machine



Jan. 29, 1963 w. GRENDELMEIER 3,075,373

PATTERNING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1960 ZNVENTOR Werner GrendaLmei-zr 511a may:

United States Patent ()fifice 3,075,373 Patented Jan. 29, 1963 3,675,37 3 PATTERNING DEVICE FOR KNITTBNG MACHINE Werner Grendelmeier, Zug, Switzerland, assignor to Paiiz- Holding AG., Zug, Switzerland Filed June 8, 1960, Ser. No. 34,820 Claims priority, application Switzerland June 17, 1959 2 Claims. (Cl. 66-960) The present invention relates to a knitting machine with at least one needle bed with guideways for the needles, and needles in the needle bed with each needle having a needle butt with a short projection parallel to the needle shank.

In knitting machines, it is frequently necessary in order to produce patterns and particularly so-called jacquard patterns, alternately to remove a part of the knitting needles from the knitting process and bring them into an ineffective position while the knitting is effected only with the remaining needles, and then to shift said last mentioned needles in their turn into the ineffective position and then employ for the knitting the needles which were previously excluded from the knitting process.

In the case of larger knitting machines, this changing of a part of the needles from the rest position into the operating position and vice versa is effected by the known jacquard devices with jacquard cards, jacks, or with auxiliary locks as described, for instance, in the US. patent to Schumm, Patent No. 2,914,933, dated December 1, 1959, etc. In simple knitting machines and in particular in hand knitting apparatus, the provision of these complicated and costly jacquard devices has not paid for itself, aside from the fact that the operation is much too cumbersome.

In general, recourse has been had up to the present time in the case of these simpler knitting machines and hand knitting apparatus to combs whichcorrespond to the pattern in question with which one part of the needles is displaced by hand from the ineffective position into the operating position and thereupon, in a following knitting operation, after all the needles are again in the ineffective position, a complementary comb brings the other part of the needles out of the ineffective position into the operating position, such complementary combs being disclosed, for instance, in the Swiss ,Patent No. 115,090 of May 17, 1926.

Aside from these simple auxiliary devices, there have alsoalready been proposed slides, or a sort of auxiliary lock by the displacement of which along the needle bed, i.e. transverse to the direction of movement of the needles, said change in position from the ineffective position to operating position and vice versa could be eifected. The previously known patterning devices of this type in which the paths for the intersecting needle butts always lay in the same plane had two entrance channels for the needle butts extending into an area where the paths are aligned and two exit channels for the needle butts extending away from the path alignment area, each entrance channel together with an exit channel associated with it partially determining one of two intersecting paths for the needle butts. In this connection spring swing cams were provided in order to assure the guiding of the needle butts, through the path alignment area, on the correct path, the undesired exit channel being in each case closed by these came.

This manner of assuring the correct guiding of the needle butts in the path alignment area had, as a matter of fact, some very substantial disadvantages. Thus the spring swing cams had to be at least sufficiently long for the undesired exit channel to be completely closed oif. This absolutely necessary length, however, required a correspondingly large closing path of the swing cam in question. If needle butts which rapidly succeed each other on different paths approaches the path alignment area, it was absolutely necessary to open the exit channel, which had been closed in order to maintain the path of the preceding needle butt, fast enough that the'next following needle butt could enter said exit channel. However, in view of the relatively long closure path, this was possible only with very strong swing cam springs which in their turn naturally again opposed such resistance to the needle butts that the movement of the slide could take place only with expenditure of a great force. If it were desired to avoid this disadvantage, this could be done only by the provision of weaker springs which, however, led to much too slow a return of the swing cams, so that upon the arrival of the following needle butt on the other path, the exit channel in question could not be opened in sufficient time, thereby resulting in improper guidings.

The object of the present invention is to avoid these disadvantages by providing a'patterning device for knitting machines of the said type in which the correct guiding of the needle butts can be definitely assured without a great expenditure of force,

A patterning device in accordance with the present invention is characterized by the fact that the paths lie in two super-imposed planes at the path alignment area.

One embodiment by way of example of the subject matter of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a needle butt;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section through the patterning device taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section through the patterning device taken along the line III--III of FIGURE 2 in the direction of the arrows, and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the patterning device, omitting all the frame parts.

The patterning device shown in the drawing is particularly suitable for use in hand-knitting'apparatus, in which case it is intended to be installed in a lock, which is movable as customary, at right angles to the needle guides 1 of a needle bed 2. This lock has not been shown in the drawing, in order not to clutter it unnecessarily.

The patterning device itself consists of a frame or framing 3 which is bent over at its longitudinal sides and has a base plate 3a. In the framing a number of cam blocks are installed to form the two intersecting paths 4 (dotdash line) and 5 (dashline) which have aligned spaced portions. The patterning device is positioned on the needle bed 2 and may be secured to the usual cam block (not shown) which is displaceable transverse to the needle bed (in the direction of the arrow 14, FIGURE 3) 1'11. order to actuate the needles. Parallel to the phase plate 3a and thus also parallel to the needle bed 2, there is provided a first lateral auxiliary cam block 6, the upper plane of which is designated A. It consists essentially of an arm 6a facing the entrance side (to the .left in FIG- URES 2 to 4) and a trapezoidal central part 6b having an oblique edge 60 towards the outlet side. Over .the greater part of this auxiliary cam block 6 there is disposed a drive cam block 7 having two projections 7a'and 7b directed towards the entrance side. Projection 7b is bent obliquely upward while projection 7a consists of an obliquely downward directing lifting surface 7:: and an arm 7d which is parallel to the needle bed and lies below plane A. The central part 7e of this drive block 7, with its edge 7 which is inclined towards the outlet side, lies in the plane B above the plane A, while the extension 7a extends to below the plane A. The two extensions (in and 7d are tapered towards the inlet, a needle repeller 8 and 9 respectively being arranged in front of the corresponding ends thereof.

On the side of the central cam 'block 7, opposite the auxiliary cam block 6, there is another auxiliary cam block 10 which, however, is at right angles to the needle bed and extends parallel to and at a certain distance from the facing edge of the center cam block 7, the camblock part parallel to the direction of displacement being marked 10a and the part extending parallel to the inclined edge 7f being marked 1%. The inclined part 10b is cut out in its lower half and does not extend down to the plane A. Finally on the frame base plate 3a, a holddown spring 11 is so arranged that it rests resiliently on the outlet side of the device against the needle bed 2.

These cam blocks 6, 7 and it) define, as seen from below, the two paths 4 and 5, the path 4 being defined by the cam block 10 and edge of the extension 7d opposing the same, the lifting surface 70 and the central part 7e. The path 5 is defined by the edge of the auxiliary cam block 6 facing the auxiliary cam block it and, towards the outlet side, and also by a short length of the auxiliary cam block 10, namely, between the point of impingement 12 and the bend 13, from where it leaves the patterning device parallel to the direction of displacement below the cam block part b.

The needle butts 15 have a protruding projection 17 parallel to the needle shank 16. The selection of the two planes, A and B, i.e. the position of the auxiliary cam block 6 and of the central cam block '7 is such that the lower plane A is just below the projection 17 of the needles in their working position, while the plane B is above the plane A and further above the corresponding projection 17 as long as the needles remain in their normal position within their guides.

As already mentioned, with the patterning device shown in the drawing, it is intended to obtain the result that needles or needle butts which are in the position 18 pass into the position 19 and vice versa, without the needles or needle butts interfering with each other during the crossing. For this purpose, the butts of the needles which are in position 18, should be guided along the path-4 and the needles in position 19 should be guided along path 5.

With due consideration of the only possible direction of motion (arrow 14), a needle butt comes into position 19, substantially uninfiuenced by the cam blocks, moves along the projection 6a of the auxiliary cam block 6 into the patterning device, follows the bend to the start of the central part 6b, strikes at 12 against the end of the part Ilia of the cam block 10 which is parallel to the direction of displacement and leaves the device at the position 18 since the inclined part lllb of the cam block it? does not extend down to the lower plane A. These needle butts which are guided on the path 5 are accordingly not lifted and move at all times in the same plane which corresponds, at least approximately, to plane A. Needle butts which enter in position 18 into the patterning device behave differently. They first of all pass between the opposite edges of the auxiliary cam block part Illa and the extension 7d of the central cam block. Thereupon, the extensions 17 of said needle butts come onto the lifting surface 7c and are now moved forward on said lifting surface and lifted onto the upper plane B, the projections 17 hooking over the edge of the central cam block 7. The further movement takes place linearly up to the bend 13, from where on they follow the oblique cam block parts ltlb and 107 until emerging from the patterning device, by which oblique cam-block parts the corresponding needle butts proceeding along the path 4 are displaced from position 18 into position 19. Upon emergence from the patterning device, the needle butts or needles of this path drop from plane B, on which they move during the last part, back into their normal operating position.

It follows from this that on path 5, the needles or needle butts are left in their normal working plane, while on path 4 they are lifted by'the lifting surface 70 to the upper plane B and drop back again only after leaving the patterning device. The crossing takes place on the length between the impingement point 12 and the bend 13, in which region the two paths extend on different planes. In order to assure the correct falling back into operating position after leaving the device, there is provided at the outlet point, the hold-down spring 11 which presses the needle shanks of the needles proceeding along the path 4 into their operating position if this has not been automatically done.

The function of the upwardly pointing extension 7b is to press down needle butts running on path 5 which, for one reason or another, lie too high and might, therefore, strike frontally against the drive cam block 7 to prevent a possible clamping of the lock. Incidentally, a corresponding provision with regard to the path 4 is not necessary, since here the needle butts are guided upwards by the slanting surface 70 so that a needle but rising too much must in any case abut against this slanting surface 70. The provision of the extension 711 is not absolutely necessary, but is a measure of precaution.

In this wa it is possible, with absolute certainty to assure the crossing of the needle buts, particularly as these needle butts are always positively guided.

Instead of needle butts of the type described, jack butts could also be used.

it is obvious that the arrangements shown in the drawing are active in only one direction of the slide and must be moved to the ineffective position thereof on the return stroke thereof. If they are to be rigidly connected with a lock, said lock must have two such devices which can alternately be brought into and out of active position by suitable, known means. The two patterning devices are interconnected in a customary manner wherein when one device is in its active position, the other is in its ineffective position. The positions of the two patternng devices are reversed at the end of each stroke of the lock with each device being active during only one direction of movement of the lock, as is customary. The shifting of the lock back and forth across the needles and the raising and lowering of the patterning devices are, of course, accomplished by hand in a hand-knitting apparatus.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine of the type having at least one needle bed with guideways for the needles, needles in the needle bed each having a needle butt presenting a short projection parallel to the needle shank; a patterning device'movable along the needle bed comprising a frame, a first cam block in said frame lying in a first plane parallel to the needle bed lower than the plane of said projections, said first cam block having an arm with a guiding edge parallel to the direction of movement of the device and corresponding to a first position of the needles, said first cam block having a second guiding edge extending obliquely to said direction of movement, a second cam block disposed in a plane perpendicular to the needle bed, said second cam block having a first guiding surface parallel to said direction of movement and corresponding to a second position of the needles and a second guiding surface obliquely disposed toward said first cam block, said second surface having its under part terminating at the height of said first plane, a third cam block parallel to the first cam block in a plane lying above the plane of said projections, said third cam block having an arm lying in the plane of the first cam block but with its guiding edge corresponding to the second position of the needles, said arm being connected to the main part of the third carn block by a lifting surface, said main part having a first guiding edge parallel to the first guiding surfaces of the second cam block and a second guiding edge parallel to the oblique guiding surface of the second cam block, said second guiding edge and said second guiding surface forming a guiding channel for the needle butts which ends at the first needle position.

2. In a knitting machine of the type having at least one needle bed with guideways for the needles, needles in the needle bed each having a needle butt presenting a short projection parallel to the needle shank; a patterning device movable along the needle bed comprising a frame, a first cam block in said frame lying in a first plane parallel to the needle bed lower than the plane of said projection, said first cam block having an arm with a guiding edge parallel to the direction of movement of the device and corresponding to a first position of the needles, said first cam block having a second guiding edge extending obliquely to said direction of movement, a second cam block disposed in a plane perpendicular to the needle bed, said second cam block having a first guiding surface parallel to said direction of movement and corresponding to a second position of the needles and a second guiding surface obliquely disposed toward said first cam block, said second surface having its under part terminating at the height of said first plane, a third cam block parallel to the first cam block in a plane lying above the plane of said projections, said third cam block having an arm lying in the plane of the first cam block but with its guiding edge corresponding to the second position of the needles, said arm being connected to the main part of the thid cam block by a lifting surface, said main part having a first guiding edge parallel to the first guiding surfaces or" the second cam block and a second guiding edge parallel to the oblique guiding surface of the second cam block, said second guiding edge and said second guiding surface forming a guiding channel for the needle butts which ends at the first needle position, a press-down spring having an end fixed to said frame, an oblique part and one end pressed against the needle bed, said spring pressing the shanks of the needles the projections of which are proceeding along the second guiding edges of the third cam and the second oblique surface of the second cam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,651,316 Bell et al Nov. 29, 1927 2,914,933 Schumm Dec. 1, 1959 2,922,295 Kochheim Jan. 26, 1960 

1. IN A KNITTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING AT LEAST ONE NEEDLE BED WITH GUIDEWAYS FOR THE NEEDLES, NEEDLES IN THE NEEDLE BED EACH HAVING A NEEDLE BUTT PRESENTING A SHORT PROJECTION PARALLEL TO THE NEEDLE SHANK; A PATTERNING DEVICE MOVABLE ALONG THE NEEDLE BED COMPRISING A FRAME, A FIRST CAM BLOCK IN SAID FRAME LYING IN A FIRST PLANE PARALLEL TO THE NEEDLE BED LOWER THAN THE PLANE OF SAID PROJECTIONS, SAID FIRST CAM BLOCK HAVING AN ARM WITH A GUIDING EDGE PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE DEVICE AND CORRESPONDING TO A FIRST POSITION OF THE NEEDLES, SAID FIRST CAM BLOCK HAVING A SECOND GUIDING EDGE EXTENDING OBLIQUELY TO SAID DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT, A SECOND CAM BLOCK DISPOSED IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE NEEDLE BED, SAID SECOND CAM BLOCK HAVING A FIRST GUIDING SURFACE PARALLEL TO SAID DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT AND CORRESPONDING TO A SECOND POSITION OF THE NEEDLES AND A SECOND GUIDING SURFACE OBLIQUELY DISPOSED TOWARD SAID FIRST CAM BLOCK, SAID SECOND SURFACE HAVING ITS UNDER PART TERMINATING AT THE HEIGHT OF SAID FIRST PLANE, A THIRD CAM BLOCK PARALLEL TO THE FIRST CAM BLOCK IN A PLANE LYING ABOVE THE PLANE OF SAID PROJECTIONS, SAID THIRD CAM BLOCK HAVING AN ARM LYING IN THE PLANE OF THE FIRST CAM BLOCK BUT WITH ITS GUIDING EDGE CORRESPONDING TO THE SECOND POSITION OF THE NEEDLES, SAID ARM BEING CONNECTED TO THE MAIN PART OF THE THIRD CAM BLOCK BY A LIFTING SURFACE, SAID MAIN PART HAVING A FIRST GUIDING EDGE PARALLEL TO THE FIRST GUIDING SURFACES OF THE SECOND CAM BLOCK AND A SECOND GUIDING EDGE PARALLEL TO THE OBLIQUE GUIDING SURFACE OF THE SECOND CAM BLOCK, SAID SECOND GUIDING EDGE AND SAID SECOND GUIDING SURFACE FORMING A GUIDING CHANNEL FOR THE NEEDLE BUTTS WHICH ENDS AT THE FIRST NEEDLE POSITION. 